2012 New York Screenplay Contest Announces Winners

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The New York Screenplay Contest, New York’s top screenwriting competition, is pleased to announce the winners and official finalists of the 2012 New York Screenplay Contest. A complete list of the 2012 winners and official finalists can be viewed on the contest’s website, http://www.newyorkscreenplaycontest.com.

The New York Screenplay Contest awards and recognizes only the most finely written screenplays from entrants around the world with distinction in four exclusive award tiers. The judges selected one Grand Prize Winner from each official competition category along with the overall Grand Jury Prize Winner, ".270" written by Jake Lee Hanne, selected as the very best project from among all the competition categories, the contest's highest and most distinguished honor.

2nd and 3rd place awards were also presented in each of the main competition categories, the Empire Award and the Park Avenue Award, respectively. In addition, up to 10 Official Finalists were selected in each of the main competition categories at the discretion of the judges.

This year’s highlights include the Grand Jury Prize Winner, “.270” written by Jake Lee Hanne, a story of two childhood friends who take a father's rifle into the mountains only to come back with shell casings and a secret; Biographical/Historical Grand Prize Winner “Last Waltz of Vienna” written by Brian Lee Weakland, a true story account of a young chemist drafted by Nazis to liquidate the assets of Sigmund Freud after Hitler’s army overruns Austria in 1938; and Comedy Grand Prize Winner “About a Donkey” written by Kelsey Rauber. In “About a Donkey” Tim is a quiet man who has three kids. Two girls, one of which is very pregnant and one of which is a lesbian and single, and a son who likes to play the field, but now is dating the pregnant daughter's nemesis. On top of that, his wife is depressed. Tim is having trouble with getting older, so in a weak moment he decides to buy a donkey. When someone steals his donkey, the whole family tries to cheer him back up, but it isn't easy.

“Every great film begins with a great screenplay,” said Oscar Gemayel, Executive Director of the New York Screenplay Contest. “The level of writing this year was simply astounding. Undoubtedly, we are looking at the work of many of tomorrow’s leading screenwriters, and we are honored to congratulate these talented winners.”

Smart, highly original, and very entertaining, Geller High School's Mondo-Secret Crush Committee, is a comedy that combines the heist and teen rom com genres.

Empire Award Winner - “The Conquered World” written by Mike Sherer

Park Avenue Award Winner - “Reggie III” written by Ashley Leach

Biographical / Historical Competition:

Grand Prize Winner - “Last Waltz of Vienna" written by Brian Weakland

Based on a true story, a young chemist is drafted by Nazis to liquidate the assets of Sigmund Freud after Hitler’s army overruns Austria in 1938. But after discovering Freud’s genius, the chemist disobeys orders, hides assets and pulls off a daring escape by Freud’s family on the Orient Express - only to be captured after the war and prosecuted as a thief by Freud’s vindictive nephew

Empire Award Winner - "Big Bob The Builder" written by Stan Augarten

Park Avenue Award Winner - "Haber" written by Daniel Ragussis

Comedy Competition:

Grand Prize Winner - “About A Donkey" written by Kelsey Rauber

Tim is a quiet man who has three kids. Two girls, one of which is very pregnant and one of which is a lesbian and single, and a son who likes to play the field, but now is dating the pregnant daughter's nemesis. On top of that, his wife is depressed. Tim is having trouble with getting older, so in a weak moment he decides to buy a donkey. When someone steals his donkey, the whole family tries to cheer him back up, but it isn't easy.

When a hard-boiled Catholic bishop appoints a rookie priest as pastor of a violent, crime-ridden parish, he's sure the young man lacks the cojones to do the job. Turns out the bishop is right. Although no one is aware of it, Father Francis, his new rookie pastor, is actually a woman passing as a man. After slowly turning the parish into a vibrant instrument for social change, the question remains, did Frances owe her success to being a woman or, as people saw her, a man.

Grand Prize Winner - "The Ultimate Almanac" written by David Ullendorff

A failing seventh grader, yearning to join a fellowship of misfit kids that have raised obscure, idiosyncratic talents to an art form, is shanghaied by his despairing parents to a futuristic experimental school that will set him straight.

A prison on a remote moon comes under attack — fueled by highly personal motivations, the prison's warden teams with an unusual convict to battle the threat.

Empire Award Winner - "The Feast" written by Tracy Whittington

Park Avenue Award Winner - "The Zone" written by Marie Scott

Thriller Competition:

Grand Prize Winner - "Cutthroat" written by James Hsiao

Three medical students engage in a competition to see who can save the most lives, but their ambition causes them to cross some lines. Soon, their efforts at being doctors are sabotaged, and they end up in the ER, one by one, on the brink of death. With their lives at stake, they work together to find the culprit before it is too late.

Empire Award Winner - "Anderson Falls" written by Giles Daoust

Park Avenue Award Winner - "Wretched Refuse" written by Ellen Bryant

Short Screenplay Competition:

Grand Prize Winner - "No Answers In A Gun" written by Ken Wallace

A family of pranksters tests the limits of a do-gooder with disastrous consequences.

Park Avenue Award Winner - "The City of Burning Bridges" written by Ivana Dolic

Treatment Competition:

Grand Prize Winner - "Werewives of London Treatment" written by Bruce Gadel

The new American Ambassador to London has his hands full when he finds out his wife and the British opposition party leader are both werewolves and battle for power and dominance of the London social and political elite. The head of Scotland Yard’s Special Protection Unit and the agent in charge of the local office of the U.S. Secret Service try to stay ahead of this primordial battle and keep the political leaders safe and the British state sovereign.

Empire Award Winner - "The Event" written by Izabela Borowska

Park Avenue Award Winner - "Street Club Kids" written by Greg Hill

Television Concept Competition:

Grand Prize Winner - "New Sealand" written by Sundae Jahant-Osborn

Don’t change the world, just create a new one! "The Truman Show" meets "Gilligan's Island" in what could be the most unique social experiment and most daring adventure ever documented for TV, as an eccentric cast of “founding fathers” sacrifice their safe comfortable lives to battle the world and each other, as they fight to found their own new sovereign nation.

Empire Award Winner - "The Sports Rookie" written by Greg Hill

Park Avenue Award Winner - "Breaking News" written by Mark Hefti

Television Pilot – Drama Competition:

Grand Prize Winner - "Love's History" written by Dale Brandenburg

After an innocent girl is burned at the stake as a witch in 1692 because Salem's puritanical reverend disapproved of her and his grandson's love, she accepts an offer by the powers to be to remain on Earth as a cupid and able to travel through time to help other victims of unrequited love. But she has to look out for the evil reverend that made a similar deal but with an entirely different entity and is hell bent on stopping her from reuniting anyone much less her and her soul mate.

A ragtag group of American journalists face the pressures of working for a fledgling Middle Eastern news network in NYC.

Empire Award Winner - "Workforce" written by Joe Fenico

Park Avenue Award Winner - "Parole" written by Kara Smith

Additionally, the New York Screenplay Contest is proud to honor powerful screenwriters and official finalists like William Drake, Ron Eid, Dong Won Kang, Greg Hill, and Donna Lisa. Their superlative work guides readers through the heart breaking and the light-hearted. Every word - a gripping one.

2012 Official Finalists

Action / Adventure

"Toto Bravo" written by William Drake

"The Transcenders" Written by Paul Dupree

"The Mother Puckers" written by Elizabeth Kent

"The Power of Wil" written by William Kelman

"Bix Lives" written by Ron Eid

"Suzie Chopsticks" written by Debra Oliver

"El Graves" written by Matthew Rafferty

"The Runner" written by Daniel Baig

"Flatlanders" written by Mike Sherer

"The Killing Mode" written by Richard Sartore

Biographical / Historical

"Go Easy Love" written by Ron Eid

"Materminated" written by Carey Dunn

"Walk To Mississippi" written by Ellen Johnson

"The Crying Machine" written by Sean Elder

"James Burns" Written by Kenneth Molloy

"Company of Bullets" written by Alan Horsnail

"Southern Hospitality" written by Alan Douglas

"That One Girl with the Hair" written by Janet Lookabaugh

"Eke'Bolos (Straight-Shooter)" written by Stephen Settle

"Slave in the House" written by Kevin Lewis

Comedy

"Serena And Her Sisters" written by Winston Furlong

"After All" written by Elizabeth Perkins

"How I Became a Hotchick With Average Breast Size" written by Dong Won Kang

"Ripped: The Trip Van Winkle Story" written by Thomas Charles

"Sebastian of the Apocalypse" written by Spencer Willis and Heath Woodlief

"The Green Revolution - Up All Night" written by Emily Sullivan

"Advent" written by Illimani Ferreira

"The Convictioneers" written by Brent Hanneson

"Mr. Ego" written by Alex Beattie

"Shooting An Officer" written by Daniel Lago

"The Tale of the Murdering Midwife and Other Brooklyn Love Stories" written by Scott Ruane

Drama

"Siobhan" written by Cody Clarke

"Cake" written by Patrick Tobin

"Klaus the Great" written by Brian Weakland

"Rest in Peace" written by Dennis Sampler

"McAdam & Eve" written by John Brassil

"Ripple" written by Heather Faris

"Wednesdays at the Gem" written by Joanne Hock and Jane Balfrey

"The Five Day Crucifixion" written by Salvatore Bono

"Rings of Triumph" written by Greg Hill

"Crossroads, NY" written by Andre Donegan

Family Film

"Benjamin the Great" written by Scott Ruane

"Staycation" written by Sundae Jahant-Osborn

"The Helping Stone" written by Robert Tolz

"River Dreams" written by Michael Raymond

"Spirit of the Rain" written by John Tupper

"One Hit Wonder" written by Bruce Rose

"The Ultimate Almanac" written by David Ullendorff

"Wide Right Knight" written by Zack Smith

"The Life and Afterlife of Jing Jing Wang" written by Jamie Read

"Lenita: Saving the Sea in time for Tea" written by Sian Nixon

"Woodley" written by Richard L. Sartore

Horror / Sci-Fi

"Soulboy" written by Eric Obame

"Last Exit This Galaxy" written by Thad Halcli

"Keener" written by Corey Mayne

"Ebu Gogo" written by Jonathan Weichsel

"Founding Fathers" written by Giles Daoust

"Time and Again" written by Stuart Creque

"Cleansed by the Blood" written by Ross Brunetti

"Shredded" written by Danielle Gershberg

"Downriver" written by Joseph J. Greenberg

"Subsistence" written by Nicola Ralph

Thriller

"Death by DNA" written by Amy Dyal Bailey

"The Night Owl" written by Steve Raftery

"In Sheep's Clothing Two" written by Rebecca Felland-Syring

"The Teacher - Marine" written by Jeffrey Ryback

"The Plumber" written by Jeffrey Ryback

"China Girls" written by Garey Riester

"The Dreamgates" written by Victor Stephanopoli

"Seeing Red" written by Sundae Jahant-Osborn

"Fever" written by Eric Borden

"Smart Ones" written by Omar Yates

Short Screenplay

"Remember Tomorrow" written by Trevor Williams

"Tom Fool and the Ballad of the Lost Sparrow" written by Greg Bond

"This Modern Man is Beat" written by David Schroeder

"A Christmas Call" written by Olenka Mar

"Still" written by Veronica Underland

"Cupcake Kids" written by Donna Rothstein

"The Last Of Its Kind" written by Kevin Bui

"Every Escape Imaginable" written by Nick Butler

Stage Play

"Death by DNA" written by Amy Dyal Bailey

"The Night Owl" written by Steve Raftery

"In Sheep's Clothing Two" written by Rebecca Felland-Syring

"The Teacher - Marine" written by Jeffrey Ryback

"The Plumber" written by effrey Ryback

"China Girls" written by Garey Riester

"The Dreamgates" written by Victor Stephanopoli

"Seeing Red" written by Sundae Jahant-Osborn

"Fever" written by Eric Borden

"Smart Ones" written by Omar Yates

Treatment

"Soul Transplant" written by Izabela Borowska

"Untitled Supernatural Love Story" written by Sundae Jahant-Osborn

"+Peace The Perfect Season" written by Sandra Stoodley

"Mythora: Quest For Saint Faith" written by Rony Franck

"Ghostbusters 3" written by Nicholas Di Valerio

Television Concept

"Vintage Porn, Pilot: Don't Be Late" written by Carol Freitas

"Reporting on Life" written by Brad Fletcher

"Better to Know Now!" written by Lawrence Roberts

"Born - Pilot: Something For The Pain" written by Peter Lord

"Castle: Just One More Thing" written by John Portilla

"The Engagement Games" written by Lawrence Roberts

"Race City" written by Zach Calig

"Chicks on a Bench" written by Daniel Shepard

"The Habibis" written by Ali Imran Zaidi

"Killer Rock from Space" written by Mike DeMille

Television Pilot - Drama

"Charlie Danata" written by Gabriel Andrews

"The Intrepidors" written by Bruce Gadel

"Playette" written by Allison Phelan

"WNPC" written by Wendy Wilkins

"Strange-Adelphia" written by Robert Henderson

"Greed" written by Jordan Shlosberg

"Comaville" written by Leslie Harroun

"Human Con" written by Benj Yoblick

"America's Armpit" written by Gabriele Cheng

"Hollywood and Vine" written by Zach Bandler, Max Spitulnik and Brian Spitulnik

Television Pilot - Sitcom

"Help Desk" written by Andrew Lynagh

"Bests" written by Adrian Kennedy

"Max U" written by M. Esther Sherman

"Expats" written by Christopher Hines

"The Astronauts Club" written by Adrian Kennedy

Television Spec Script

"The Horizon" written by Julien Deladriere

"Shameless - Fair Games" written by Victoria Casarsa

"Life of the Party" written by Robert King

"Curb Your Enthussiasm: Accident" written by David Schroeder

"Next Of Kin" written by Dylan Morgan

"Flower City" written by Jack Swanstrom

"Pete's Cup'A'Joe" written by RJ Buckley

"In the Weeds" written by Eric Brown

"California/English" written by Dee Dee Fay

The New York Screenplay Contest is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors. This year's competition sponsors include, Final Draft, Greenhouse Studios, and Scripped.